Yamal keeps Ballon d’Or faith after Kane wins 2026 award

Lamine Yamal arrived at the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony in London with hopes of winning football’s most prestigious individual prize, but the Barcelona forward already suspected the award would go to England captain Harry Kane.

Kane, who held the ceremony in his home city, was eventually crowned for the first time in his career. Yamal finished the night with the Kopa Trophy for the best young player, edging Barcelona team-mate and friend Pau Cubarsi by just two votes, according to Catalan newspaper Sport.

Despite missing out on the main award for a second successive year, Yamal accepted the result in a sporting manner and remains convinced he will eventually win the Ballon d’Or.

Signs that Kane would triumph

There had initially been optimism within the Barcelona delegation that Yamal could claim the prize. However, expectations at the club had gradually shifted towards Kane in the days before the ceremony.

Yamal himself had begun to feel about a week earlier that the Bayern Munich striker was likely to win. That feeling grew stronger when Barcelona’s delegation arrived in London and the atmosphere appeared to be building towards a victory for the English forward.

The presence of senior Bayern Munich officials in the capital also caught Yamal’s attention. He viewed their arrival as a sign that the German club expected Kane to be successful, with preparations for a potential celebration seemingly under way both in London and Germany.

Barcelona’s representatives did not completely abandon hope, but the eventual outcome reflected the growing belief that Yamal would have to wait for his opportunity.

Sport reports that Yamal travelled to London separately from the Barcelona delegation on a private aircraft, accompanied by people close to him. He chose to remain in the capital after the ceremony because Barcelona’s first team had been given Tuesday off.

After the event, he returned to his hotel to rest and sleep, later eating dinner in his room with his partner, Ines Garcia.

Some Barcelona security staff had reportedly inspected high-end restaurants in London in case Yamal won and a celebration was required. In the end, no party was arranged, particularly as the indications before the ceremony did not suggest he would take the main prize.

Focus on trophies

Yamal, who is still 19, has already appeared among the Ballon d’Or’s top 10 three times and has finished on the podium on two occasions. His latest result did not alter his belief that he can reach the summit in the future.

The Barcelona player considers his Kopa Trophy victory a possible indication that the award organisers also expect him to become a Ballon d’Or winner one day.

He recognises, however, that individual ability alone is not enough. Success with Barcelona and the Spain national team, including the trophies he wins with both, will be an important factor in determining whether he achieves his ambition.

Yamal left London without the main award but with his long-term goal unchanged: the Ballon d’Or dream remains alive, and his next chance will depend on what he produces on the pitch in the years ahead.